Specsavers Edinburgh Optometry Director Honoured by Glasgow Caledonian University
A LEADING Edinburgh-based optometry director has been named ‘Alumni of the Year’ by Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU), in a ceremony celebrating clinical excellence and a lifelong commitment to ‘The Common Good.’
Michael O’Kane, who co-owns and leads three Specsavers businesses across Edinburgh, responsible for more than 70 team members, accepted the award at the university’s annual alumni celebration. The accolade recognises his significant contributions to the field of optometry, his leadership, and his work with national education, national eye care policy, and those experiencing homelessness in the city. He has also worked with children who were premature.
Reflecting on his journey, Michael O’Kane credited the institution with shaping his career, his family life, and his core values.
Speaking at the awards conference, Michael says: ‘GCU gave me far more than a degree – it gave me a way of being useful in the world. I arrived in Glasgow hoping for a qualification; I left with a belief that doing your job well isn’t enough. It matters who your work helps.’
Since graduating, Michael has pioneered optometrist-led care in Scotland. His clinical career has spanned diverse settings, from high-street practices to working within prisons and providing specialist care for infants with developmental difficulties and children who were born premature, delivering a charity drive to help in the care of Premature babies.
A champion of fairness and accessibility, he has been a vocal advocate for vision care within the homeless community – a cause he describes as ‘invisible yet vital’ for restoring dignity and independence. Michael continues: ‘Success doesn’t grow because of one person alone. It grows when people trust each other and pull in the same direction. Any recognition I receive belongs to the teams I work with and my family that supports me.’
Throughout his career, Michael has remained a constant fixture at GCU, returning to complete a Master’s degree and being at the forefront of new clinical fields such as myopia management for children, independent prescribing and the new NHS Community Glaucoma Scheme.
Specsavers offer a wide range of career paths, from retail and customer service to clinical roles in optics. With ongoing training and development opportunities, both Morningside and Cameron Toll stores are committed to investing in its teams and helping colleagues progress. Both stores have been recognised as Great Places To Workã due to the investment in training and have sponsored multiple team members to become highly paid professionally qualified clinicians.
For more information or to book an eye examination or hearing check, call Specsavers Cameron Toll on 0131 672 9210 or visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/camerontoll, or visit https://www.specsavers.co.uk/stores/morningside.